This makes it all the more important to take special care with story lines where the details are within the producers' control." The BCCSA in its judgment said that "broadcasters bear a heavy burden of responsibility in a country such as South Africa, where much emotional trauma is suffered because of acts of violence. "The reason that the hostage drama took place over two episodes was that it was a big story that could not have been resolved in one episode of 24 minutes," the BCCSA heard. The soap said it tried to "avoid showing the close-up of the guns as well as the use of them", that it showed "very little blood". The soap admitted that the episodes caused "widespread reaction from our viewers - unequaled in the history of the show" and that viewers "found the fear and hysteria of the hostages in Oppiekoffie believable, the thugs well-defined as characters".
SABC2 said that the soap "always endeavours to handle violence - be it psychological or physical - in a responsible way - and never depict it gratuitously".
SABC2 told the BCCSA that the public broadcaster's TV channel "regrets that the hostage drama offended viewers as that was not the intention" and that SABC2 placed a 13V on-screen advisory on the episodes to alert viewers, but that there was no verbal advisory. Therefore I'm not watching 7de Laan anymore." One viewer told the BCCSA "We do not want such violence in a family programme. Viewers complained to the BCCSA that the violence and languages depicted in the February episodes which depicted an attempted robbery, was not suitable for the timeslot and harmful to children. The BCCSA has ordered 7de Laan and SABC2 to broadcast a lengthy on-screen statement, as well as an accompanying voice-over before 22 May telling viewers that 7de Laan had broadcast two episodes in February depicting a violent attack in Oppiekoffie with violence and language unsuitable for the timeslot and which contravened the code.
The Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa has again rapped the SABC's 7de Laan soap on SABC2 over the knuckles, ordering the soap to apologise to viewers for contravening the Broadcasting Code of Conduct for broadcasting violence and language not suitable for younger viewers and the timeslot.